Hemp Paper and Wood

Hemp Paper and Wood

Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their plantations. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper. Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper.

Hemp is a highly evolved plant species and is not genetically engineered. Hemp is heat, mildew, pest, light, and rot resistant. Hemp's long, smooth, hollow fibers make hemp very strong, durable and mold and mildew resistant.

Hemp produces more pulp per acre than timber on a sustainable basis, and can be used for every quality of paper. As a result Hemp produces four times as much paper per acre as trees. Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp's low lignin content reduces the need for acids used in pulping, and it's creamy color lends itself to environmentally friendly bleaching instead of harsh chlorine compounds. Less bleaching results in less dioxin and fewer chemical byproducts.

Hemp paper manufacturing can reduce wastewater contamination. Hemp is Earth's number-one biomass resource; it is capable of producing 10 tons per acre in four months. Hemp can be made into quality papers. The long fibers in hemp allow such paper to be recycled several more times than wood-based papers.

Trees cut down to make paper take 50 to 500 years to grow, while hemp can be cultivated in as little as 100 days and can yield 4 times more paper over a 20 year period. Its natural whiteness can obviate the need to use chlorine bleach, which means no extremely toxic dioxin being dumped into streams. Rather, when required, hemp can be whitened with hydrogen peroxide. Therefore, hemp paper is acid-free, which can last 1,500 years. Wood-based papers have a shelf life of 25-100 years. If the hemp pulp paper process reported by the USDA in 1916, were legal today it would soon replace 70% of all wood paper products.

The heating and compressing of hemp fibers can create building materials superior to wood in strength, quality and cost. Heating and compressing plant fibers can create practical, inexpensive, fire-resistant construction materials with excellent thermal and sound-insulating qualities. These strong plant fiber construction materials could replace dry wall and wood paneling. One acre of hemp produces as much cellulose fiber pulp as 4.1 acres of trees, making hemp a perfect material to replace trees for pressed board, particle board, and concrete construction molds.

Construction products such as medium density fiberboard, oriented strand board, and even beams, studs and posts can be made out of hemp. Because of hemp's long fibers (bundles of 7 feet long can be common), the products will be stronger and/or lighter than those made from wood (a Douglas fir tree's fiber is at best 3/4 inch long). Hemp can yield 3-8 dry tons of fiber per acre. This is four times what an average forest can yield. Hemp can displace wood fiber and save forests for watershed, wildlife habitat, recreation and oxygen production, carbon sequestration (reduces global warming), and other values. Hemp fiber paper resists decomposition, and does not yellow with age when an acid-free process is used. Hemp paper more than 1,500 years old has been found. It can also be recycled more times.

Hemp is the strongest vegetable fiber on the planet. The byproduct of pressing the oil from hemp seed is high quality protein seed cake. It can be sprouted or ground and baked into cakes, breads, and casseroles. Hemp seed protein is one of mankind's finest, most complete and available-to-the-body vegetable proteins.

Planting 6% of the continental U.S. with biomass crops would satisfy all America's energy needs. Additionally hemp grows well without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides. Trees mature in 50-100 years; hemp matures in as little as 100 days. Hemp can yield 3-8 dry tons of fiber per acre. This is four times what an average forest can yield.

About the Author
Francesca Black works in marketing at Organic Items http://www.organic-items.com and Pilates Shop http://www.pilates-shop.net leading portals for organic products and natural excercise.